Letter to the Editor: Doughboy vandalism reflects on community

To the person or persons who vandalized the doughboy statue that sits in the peace garden, you have disgraced the memories of the brave veterans from Carbon County who gave their lives fighting for freedom in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and other actions after Vietnam. Also you have put a dark cloud over the men and women fighting for freedoms all over the world today.

If you read the names on the plaques that surround the base you would probably have a distant or a close relative that died in one of these wars, so you have dishonored one of your own relatives.

Here is a brief history of the statue. It was dedicated in 1922 in Hiawatha, to honor the five men who died in battle in World War II in 1948, a new plaque was added with the names of four more men killed in World War II from Hiawatha.

With the possible demise of the Hiawatha township in the 1980's and with the statue deteriorating and in need of extensive repairs the town board voted to donate the statue to Price City, with the unwavering support of the then Price mayor and the entire city council and Hiawatha mayor and township board, the statue was re-dedicated in Price in 1990.

Then through the support of the entire community, local clubs and organizations, with their donations and volunteers work, the peace garden as you see it today was dedicated in 1994.

So the vandalism that was done to the statue recently was done to the whole community of Carbon County and to the memories of the servicemen and women who served and died in all wars and to our local National Guard troops serving in Iraq today.

If anyone has any information on who is responsible for this shameful act please call the Price Police Department.